Autographic desk register



Jan. 26, 1932. J SHERMAN 1,842,632

AUTOGRAPHIC DESK liEGIST-ER Filed April 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l awe! mug Filed April 25. 1928 s Sheets-Sheet .2

flu M11 Jan. 26, 1932.

J. Q. SHERMAN Auroehnam. nssx REGISTER Filed April 25. 1928 s Shuts-Sheet s gwuentoz Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES Jean 0. SHERMAN,

or DAYTON, 0310 AUTOGRAPHIC DESK REGISTER Application filed April 25,

My invention relates to autographic registers, and more particularly for registers for ,use in executive or professional offices for which theordinary commercial autographic a register is inappropriate.

Uorporation oficials and executives, and professional men as engineers, architects, lawyers and physicians have frequent occasion to make manifold copies of notes, data, to references, charges for timeor services, and memoranda records of conferences, orders and instruction slips, and the like. The conventional type of autographic register used in industrial and commercial establishments it appears quite incongruous in a professional or executive ofice. Moreover, such professional men or executives ordinarily desire to make such record entries while sitting at their desks. It is inconvenient to operate a the ordinary autographic register, while sitting at a desk upon which the register stands. To overcome these ditticulties and to provide an installation of an autographic regist er suitable for professional and executive otlices in which the register is normally consealed until time of use, and will then be presented in the most convenient position for making hand written entries, the present construction has been devised.

To this end the autographic register mechanism, whether hand operated or motordriven, is mounted in a desk drawer which may be withdrawn from the desk structure when it is desired to make entries and returns thereto to conceal the register when not in use. The cover of the register mechanism is horizontally disposed substantially flush with the top of the drawer walls. In the event of a hand operated register mechanism' a spring retracted operating crank is provided which may be withdrawn beyond the limit of the drawer for easy access. Means is provided for temporarily maintainin the operating crank in such extended position. lUpon closure of the drawer containing such autographic register mechanism, the crank holding detent is disengaged and the crank automatically returned-incident to the return movement of the drawer. As illustrated W in the drawings the register mechanism may titt dill

view of the register mechanism installed in 1928. Serial No. 272,754.

be mounted either in the drawer at the right of the person sittin at the desk in case the register is arranged preferably perpendicular to the desk, or itmaybe arranged in the center drawer directly in front of the user, in which case it is preferably arranged parallel with the desk.

The object of the invention is to provide an autographic register installation for those surroundings wherein a conventional type of register is inappropriate or objectionable and whereby the register may be normally con-' ce'aled from view, but wherein the register is readily and easily accessible and is presented in apositon convenient to a person sitting at a desk.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved housing or a cabinet wherein the register mechanism reciprocates into and out of such housing in which it is nor- (0 nially concealed when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide actuator means for such register mechanism and means for automatically retracting the actuator means mechanism when the register is returned to its housing. With the above primary and other incidental objects in View as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention con sists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a desk in which the register mechanism forming the subject matter hereof has been installed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the desk drawer removed from the desk and the cover of the register mechanism removed therefrom. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the register mechanism coincident with the drive shaft. 95 Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the desk drawer with the register mechanism in stalled therein. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the actuator shaft detent. Fig. 6 is a perspective the,center drawer of a desk and in parallel relation with the desk. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a motor driven register mechanism removed from the desk drawer. Fig. 8 is adetail perspective view of means for clamping the transversely disposed carbon strips.

Like parts are indicatedby similar characters of reference throughout the several views. a

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 is a portion of an oifice desk having therein a reciprocating drawer 2, which forms the cabinet -of an autographic register mechanism 3. This register mechanism may be of any suitable form. The re ister mechanism illustrated'has a frame 4 of suitable proportions to be mounted withinthe drawer 2. The frame 4 supports a writing tablet 5, over which are fed superposed record strips from a supply packet, or roll as the case may be, contained within the drawer 2 and beneath the writing tablet 5. Such record strips pass over, guide rollers 6 journalled in the register frame 4, passing thence'over the writmg tablet and are engaged by revoluble-pin wheel feeding means engaging in marginal perforations provided in the record stri s.

be pin wheel feeding device consists o a pair of spaced pin wheels 7 positioned coincident with the Series of marginal rforations of the strips. These pin wheels are fixedly interconnected by an intermediate tubular sleeve like portion 8, forminga revoluble spool which is journalled in the frame structure 4. This pin wheel spool is rotated by a shaft 9 axially adjustable therein. The shaft 9 carries a hand crank 10. A spring 11 surrounding the actuating shaft 9" within the sleeve 8 of the pin wheel spool tends to retract the shaft, and draw the crank arm within the limits of the drawer 2? The drawer is provided with an opening 12 in one wall thereof, through which the crank arin 10 may bewithdrawn for operation of the register mechanism. The withdrawal of the crank arm 10 and actuating shaft 9 to operative position beyond the side wall of the drawer 2 is eifected against thetension of the retracting spring- 11. When extended to such operativepositlon, a pivoted detent arm 14 pivoted to the inner side of the drawer wall is s ring actuated into overlapping relation wit a hood 15 upon the shaft 9 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, thereby holding theshaft and rative crank in extended position against e tension of the retracted spring. The rear arm of the detent lever 14, has a cam projection 16 extendin somewhat above the top margins of the wa closing movement of the drawer2, this cam projectionv 16 engages with the desk structure 1 and is depressed thereby to disengage the detent 14 from the shaft head 15, thus releasin the shaft and crank'arm, which are imme 'ately retracted by the reaction of the of the drawer 2. Uponspring 11. Overlying the record strips and ing pins upon the rotating pin wheels is-a clamp bar'1 7 normalliy 1 to permit the free-fee ng of the strip by cam wheels associated with the pin wheelsof the feeding device. These cam wheels permit the clamp bar 17 to be lowered into clamping engagement with the paper at the end of each' feeding operation. 'The construction and operation of this bar 17, which maintains the holding them in engagement with the feed-.

held above the paper '70 paper or record strips upon the pins of the 4 feeding operation, is illustrated and described in co-pending. application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 747,101, filed Oct. 31,1924. In

order that multiple copies of data entered upon the record strip may be made strips of carbon or transfer material are interleaved ,between the superposed record strips. Such strips of carbon or transfer material are. fed transversely across the writing tablet 5 from a supply roller 19, and are received upon a 96 reel shaft 20 at the opposite'side of the writing tablet. This reel shaft 20 is rotated manuall from time to time by means of aknurled hea transfer materialto present a fresh surface in the writin position upon the tablet 5.,-

21 in .order to'advance the carbon or Overlying t e register mechanism is a cover plate 22 which is positioned approximately level of the top margin of the walls of the drawer 2. This cover plate 22 has therein an opening 23 registering with the writing tablet ,5, through which entries may be made upon the uppermost record strip, which entries are transferred to the .underlyin' strips by the intermediatetransfer'materiai The forward end of the opening 23 is depressed below the surface of the cover plate 22 and hinged thereto is a deflector plate 24, b which the upper record strip may be guided from the register to be torn oif against the clamping bar 17 while the underlying strip is returned to the drawer 2- beneath the register mechanism to afford a duplicate olfice record.

In Fig. .1 the register mechanism is arran ed with the writing tablet extending perpen icular to the desk 1. In this position it may be withdrawn from the desk at the right of the user, where it is quite convenient for making entries through the opening 23 upon the record; strip. However, some users may prefer to havejthe register turned parallel with the desk in which case it ma be mounted in the middle drawer of the des asat 25, inv

Fig. 6. .For illustrative purposes the re rshown in Fig. 6 is electrically operate the motor being controlled by the trip member 27 which serves to interconnect the driving motor a with the register feed mechanism. Such con-' struction is shown in detail in Fi 7, wherein the frame structure 4 is exten ed laterallyto accommodate a driving motor 28. The arrangement of the writing tablet with the pin 7 wheel feeding means for the record strips, the

be clamped in till clamp bar operating means, and carbon supply means are the same as before described. Instead of a reciprocatory actuating shaft 9 and crank arm 10 for operating the register mechanism, the shaft in this case is extended laterally as at 29 and is operatively-connected with the driving motor 28. A rheostat 30 is connected'in the motor supply circuit, and serves to regulate the speed of the motor. The particular motor operated feed devices form no part of the present invention per se, but are fully described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent 1,437,949 issued Dec. 5, 1922, and also in pending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 24,193, filed April 18, 1925.

In lieu of the revoluble reel shaft for adjusting the transversely extended transfer or carbon sheets the ends of such sheets may their adjusted position as shown in Fig. 8. In this modification in lieu of the revoluble reel shaft 20 for receiving the used portion of the transfer ipaper, such used portion is torn off and the remaining ends of the carbon sheets are secured by means of a spring bar 32 pivotal-1y mounted at 33, and when depressed over the ends of the carbon paper this bar is engagcable in a keeper hook 34. In this case the carbon sheets are pulled across the writing tablet by hand to present a fresh surface in Writing position and after being securely clamped by pressing the spring bar into the keeper hook the excess used portions of the strips are torn ofi'.

. From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the par ticular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended. claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

l. The combination with a drawer and a structure in which the drawer is mounted for to and fro reciprocatory motion to alternating closed and open positions, ofan autographic register in said drawer, and accessible only when the drawer is open, an actuating shaft for the shaft and permit its register slidingly mounted for axial extension beyond the limit of the drawer, a spring actuated latch arm, one end of which projects above the level of thefidrawer, a shoulder on the shaft behind which the latch arm engages to hold the shaft when'extended, said projecting end of the latch arm being engageable with the 'mounting' structure for the drawer as the drawer is closed to oscillate the latch arm. out of engagement with the 7 return into the drawer.

2. The combination with a drawer and a structure in which the drawer is mounted for to and fro reciprocatory motion, of an autographic register contained therein, a retractable operating device for the register adjustable to a positionbeyond the limits of the drawer, a detent for temporarily holding the operating means in extended position, means for retractingthe operating means 35 when released by said detent and means en-- gaged by said detent upon closing movement of the drawer by which the detent is automatically disengaged to release the operating means.

3. The combination with a drawer, of an autographic register contained within saiddrawer and a mounting structure in which the drawer is mounted for to and fro reciprocatory motion into whichthe drawer is retractible to conceal the register from view, and from which the drawer may be withdrawn to an extended position to aiford access tothe autographic register, the top of the register being substantially flush with the top margin of the drawer walls and actuating means therefor extendable exteriorly of the drawer when open.

4. The combination with a cabinet, and a drawer slidingly mounted therein, of an au- 10 tographic register mounted within the cabinetdrawer and accessible upon withdrawal of the drawer from the cabinet, and means for controlling the operation of the autographic register extensible beyond the limits of the drawer, and means for automatically retracting said control means upon the closing of the drawer.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March, A. D. 1928.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN.

mechanism contained 

